Starting device



1-. A. DALY 2,403,056

' STARTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S ATTORNEY July 2, i946. T. A. DALY 2 5 STARTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 22, 1945 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: INVENTOR I /7; mals ATTORNEY Patented July 2, 1946 UNIT so STATES PATENT oam 2,403,056

ismsn'rme nnvion Thomas A. -Daly, Sharpsville, Pa", assignor to westinghouse'Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh,-Pa.,*a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 22, i945,-.seria1Noam-9,229

My invention relates to trigger switches an'd, more particularly, to starting trigger switchesfor aerial or PT boat torpedoes. 'Sincethe'wei'ght limitations on this type of torpedo are very stringent and since a torpedo of this'typeisnot launched from a'tubefithe starting trigger or switches must not only be simple, r'eliablean'd low in weight, but must also'be designedtobe readily actuated when'the'torpedo is launched.

-One broad object of 'my inventionusthe provision of simple, reliable'andlightweightstarb ing means for a torpedo.

Another object somewhat morespeci'fic is; the provision of a switch construction'for starting the apparatus within a torpedo'by means"of-a lanyard attached to the launci'iin'g airplane-"or PT boat.

'Other objects and advantageswillbecome readily apparent from a 'study ofthe followingspecification and the accompanyingdrawings;'inwhich:

Figure '1 is a side view certain parts-broken away showing one embodiment of my trigger switch;

Fig. 2 is a front View ofthetrigger'switch-with the upper portionsbroken awayto'more'clearly illustrate the 'con's'truction;

Fig."3 is a side 'view'bf a modification of' my invention with certain parts "broken awayto illustrate "details; and

FigA is a plan view of the subject mattershown in Fig. 3 with certain pa'rtsbroken' away to illus- 'trate some details.

'Referring more particularly'to'Fi'g: l wherein the afterbody of the-torpedo is'designated by I, to this afterbody I weld asuitable relatively-narrow we11"3, shaped as shown,'the"welding being at regionsZ to prevent the entry of any sea-water to the afterbody of the torpedo at "this region. The Well is providedwi'th a 'pair of parallel side Walls 4 and 5.

Disposed transversely *ofthe'side walls" 4 and 5 is the shaft 6' disposed in thebearings 'I -and- 8. These bearings I and 8'arehermetically-sealed to the side walls 4-and-- 5" at- 9* and -lfl-so that any sea water disposed within the weld cannot leak past this region 'toenter the afterbody bf the torpedo. Thebearing 'Iisbfw'plug type and therefore requires no packing gland. The bearing- 8 is provided with internal 'threads 'toreceive the' nut H for compressing' 'the'packing material IZ- to prevent any-leakagebf liquid lengthwise of the shaft.

Rigidly keyed to the shaft 6 is the member l3 to which the arm i is' rigidly secured. *TT-his arm 'I 4' is provided-*with; a nut or 'r ivet lii'at its Glaims. (Cl; ZOO- 52) end, the rivetihaving a spherical head to coact with the block I 6 having the'hole l1. jAlanyard;.not shown, i suitably secured to'the: block it? at the hole I"! and is rigidlyattachedjto the airplane or the PT boat so'that when the torpedo is launched,.the block w'i1l1be withdrawnfirom its position, as; shown in Fig. 1. V 7

To thevright hand of the shaft 6, as'seen'in Fig.2, I rigidly key the block 18 having an extension l9to which I secure a switch actuating arm 20. Mounted in the lower end of the switch actuating armlll is, theresiliently mountedicontact bridging member 2|. This contactbridging member is disposed 'to, coact' with the stationary contacts 22 and 23 rigidly secured ;to--the outer periphery of the bearing 8,'as'shown in Fig. 2 at 24. The. shaft 6 betweenthe block Iii-and the nut H is provided with a space sleeve-25 over which I dispose a springid for biasingthe switch actuating memberfiil in a direction to effect bridging of contacts'22 and 23 by the contact bridging member 2|. This biasing action is e'iTected' by reason of the fact that the arm 20 is provided with a transverse hole'2'l for receiving the right-hand outwardlybentend '28 of spring 26. The left-handend of the spring designated 29 is disposedpadjacent the bearing 8 and may be disposed inany-one ofa pluralityof slots 30 cut, into the edge of member 3! rigidly secured to the outer periphery of-bearing' 8. It will thus be apparent that by merely shifting-the end 29, the biasing force applied to the arm- 20 may be adjusted to any desired"value within the range of' the adjustment and the character of the spring.

Since the arm" 2flt'hrough' the block I8- is rigidly secured to shaft 6, it isapparent that-the spring being rigidly secured at end 29' to -the Since the. well3 at the rearor the seatingregiontfor the block :I 6 .is arcuate in shape, and the block has arcuate fsurfaces for;cc;action with g the 3 the arm l4, it will be apparent that the block is readily removed from its position regardless of whether the pull may be directly upward or directly in the aft direction,

In Figs. 3 and 4, I show a modification of my invention wherein the well 33 is of considerably simpler construction being substantially of one piece provided with a bottom and a side wall 34. A shaft 36 is disposed in the bearings 31 and 38. The bearing 31 is of the block type hermetically sealed to the side wall 35. The bearing 38, also hermetically sealed through side wall 34, is provided with a suitable bearing sleeve 38. The lower end of bearing 38, as seen in Fig. 4, is provided with internal threads for receiving the nut 4| for compressing the packing material 42 so as to prevent any leakage of sea water from the interior of the well into the afterbody 32 of the torpedo. To the shaft 36 within the well I rigidly secure the vertical member 43 to which the locking bar 44 is rigidly secured. This locking bar 44 is provided to prevent accidental operation of the switch because of the block 46 being pulled o-r jarred out of position.

Disposed about the bearing 38 is the spring 56 having an end 59 secured in an opening in the slot member 60 welded to side wall 34 and having an outer or lower end 58 secured in a switch actuating arm 50 keyed to the shaft 36 beyond the bearing 38. The end 59 of the spring 56 may be adjusted to coact with any one of the plurality of slots shown in the arcuate member 56 so as to adjust the biasing effect of the spring. The lower end of arm 59 is provided with a link SI for the purpose of actuating a pair of levers 62 and 63 disposed to operate switches disposed in the housings 64 and 65. These switch housings 64 and 65 are rigidly secured to an L-shaped member 65 which is bolted to the well at 61.

When the torpedo is launched, the block 46 is removed whereupon the spring rapidly actuates the switches to establish suitable circuits for the propulsion equipment and other equipment disposed within the torpedo and of itself forming .no part of my invention.

It will be noted that my construction provides 'not only the simple reliable trigger switch, but also one having a relatively light weight and wherein the operating lever, once the torpedo is launched, lies flush with the outside surface of the afterbody of the torpedo so that cavitation is reduced to a minimum. There is thus no appreciable drag added to the torpedo by reason of the starting mechanism.

I am aware that others, particularly after having had the benefit of the teachings of my invention, may devise similar switches. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular showing and description presented in this specification, but wish to be limited only by the scope of the claims hereto appended.

ture for the lever, said structure including a recess open to the outside of the shell but so secured to the shell that the medium surrounding the shell may enter the recess only, said bell-crank lever being mounted in a fluid tight manner in bearing structure so that one arm of the lever is disposed in the recess projecting away from the axial region of the shell but falling short of the outer surface of the shell and the other arm disposed within the shell and projecting toward the axial region of the shell, said other arm carrying switch contacts disposed to cooperate with the switch contacts mounted within the shell, means for producing a biasing torque on the. lever so that the switch contacts are brought into engagement when the lever is released to rotate, a bar rigidly attached in substantially perpendicular relation to the said one arm and projecting toward the aft region of the torpedo, a removable lug disposed under the projecting end of the bar to normally prevent rotation of the bell-crank lever by the biasing means, said lug being designed to be secured to a lanyard attached to the craft launching the torpedo, whereby launching of the torpedo removes the lug to thus cause operation of said lever to effect engagement of the switch contacts.

2. An electric switch having particular, butnot exclusive, utility for the starting equipment of a torpedo having a substantially conventional shell, or housing, said switch comprising an off-set bellcrank lever, a bearing structure for the bellcrank lever, switch contacts disposed on the bearing structure, said bearing structure being so shaped and connected to the shell as to expose one arm of the lever to the medium surrounding the shell but providing a seal against leakage of the medium outside the shell to the inside region of the shell into which the other arm projects, switch contacts on the other arm disposed to coact with the switch contacts on the bearing structure, biasing means for rotating the lever when released, a removablelug disposed in the region of the bearing structure exposed to the medium surrounding the shell for normally preventing free rotation of the bell-crank lever, said lug being designed so that it may be attached to a lanyard attached to the launching craft of the torpedo, whereby launching of the torpedo causes rotation of the bell-crank lever.

3. An electric switch having particular, but not exclusive, utility for the starting equipment of a torpedo having a substantially conventional shell, or housing, said switch comprising an offset bell-crank lever, a leak-proof bearing structure for the lever housing one arm of the lever so that it is exposed to the medium outs de the shell and may be operated from the outside of the torpedo shell, the other lever arm projecting into the shell and exposed only to the medium within the shell, stationary electric contacts mounted on the bearing structure within the shell, electric contacts on the lever arm within the shell cooperating with said stationary contacts on the bearing structure, means on the bearing structure for biasing the bell-crank lever for rotation in a direction to cause engagement of the electric contacts when the bell-crank lever is released for rotation, a removable lug coacting with the lever arm exposed tothe medium outside the shell normally holding the bell-crank lever from free rotation, whereby removal of the lug causes rotation of the bell-crank lever.

4.-An electric switch comprising, in, combination, a barrier for preventing movement of the medium at one side of the barrier to the other side, -a leak-proof bearing in saidbarrier,an ofiset bell-crank lever having one arm disposed at one side of the barrier, a shaft portion in the bearing, and another arm, omthe'pther-side of the. barrier, meansfor producing a torqueonthe shaft portion of the bell-crank lever, means at one side of the barrier for holding the arm at that side of the barrier in a given position against the biasing torque whereby operation of this last named means will cause rotation of the bell-crank lever, and switching means at the other side of the barrier operated by the arm and this other side of the barrier.

5. An electric switch, comprising, in combination, a barrier for preventing movement of the medium at one side of the barrier to the other side, a leak-proof bearing in said barrier, an 01?- set bell-crank lever having one arm disposed at one side of the barrier, a shaft portion in the bearing, and another arm on the other side of the barrier, a helical spring disposed about the shaft portion of the bell-crank lever, said pring having one end connected to the barrier and the other end under torsion connected to the shaft portion to thus apply a torqu on th shaft portion of the bell-crank lever, mean at one side of the barrier for holding the arm at that side of the barrier in a given position against the biasing torque, whereby operation of this lastnamed means will cause rotation of the bell-' crank lever, and switching means at the other side of the barrier operated by the arm at this other side of the barrier.

6. An electric switch, comprising, in combination, a barrier for preventin movement of the medium at one side of the barrier to the other side, a leak-proof bearing in said barrier, an offset bell-crank lever having one arm disposed at one side of the barrier, a shaft portion in the bearing, and another arm on the other side of the barrier, means for adjusting the magnitude of the torque, means at one side of the barrier for holding the arm at that side of the barrier in a given position against the biasing torque, whereby operation of this last named means will cause rotation of the bell-crank lever, and switching means at the other side of the barrier operated by the arm at this other side of the barrier.

'7. An electric switch, comprising, in combination, a barrier for preventing movement of the medium at one side of the barrier to the other side, a leak-proof bearing in said barrier, an offset bell-crank lever having one arm disposed at one side of the barrier, a shaft portion in the bearing, and another arm on the other side of the barrier, about the shaft portion of the bellcrank lever, said spring having one end connected to the barrier and the other end under torsion connected to the shaft portion to thus apply a torque on the shaft portion of the bellcrank lever, means for adjusting the magnitude of the torque, means at one side of the barrier for holding the arm at that side of the barrier in a given position against the biasing torque, whereby operation of this last-named means will cause rotation of the bell-crank lever, and switching means at the other side of the barrier operated by the arm at this other side of the barrier.

THOMAS A. DALY. 

